The drama and media attention around the US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked US spying secrets, has stimulated a live debate around the world; is spying on citizens and foreigners by governments wrong? Is it wrong for the US to hound one of its own citizens for reporting on government spying activities?

Information is a very important aspect of decision making in government and rulers all through history have used many means and ways to acquire information on enemy positions and strength in war, court shenanigans in imperial times, prospective lands to attack and so on. Information enables pre- planning to anticipate events and prevent crimes and gain advantage over adversaries. In matters concerning security, this could be the difference between a bomb going off and killing several citizens and preventing it.

What seems to anger many people is that they were ‘secretly’ spied upon. But spying is just that, secretive, otherwise it would not yield much since potential candidates would shield their activities. Germany, France and other European countries condemned the possible spying on their missions wondering why the US would want to spy on ‘friends’.

The question to ask is; are there ‘friends’ when it comes to the security of a county’s own citizens? The Boston Bombing was perpetrated by a US citizen: Before he detonated those bombs, was he a friend or foe of the US government? Continuing terror plots worldwide means no one is immune from being spied on inside and outside a country.

Mobile banking is a technological solution that allows a bank account holder to conduct financial transactions through a mobile phone or other capable mobile device. In 1999, some European banks were offering mobile services through Short Messaging Service (sms banking). Currently, mobile banking allows one to access and query their bank account, transfer money between different accounts, pay bills, deposit and withdraw money at ATMs and many other convenient functions.The biggest impact of mobile banking, however, has been the transformation of small and medium size businesses. Opening an account used to be the preserve of a few and one had to have a regular income to maintain their account. With mobile banking, all one needs is a mobile phone and a SIM card, a quick visit to the nearest bank branch for registration (where there will typically be no charge) and they are good to go.This simplification brought massive numbers of informally employed people and rural communities into the banking system and spurred the growth of micro lending. Credit is an engine of growth and easier access to micro loans empowered many people to start self supporting ventures. Repayments can be made cheaply and remotely. Banks like Grameen Bank of India and Equity bank of Kenya are examples of micro lending institutions that are experiencing exponential growth due to mobile banking.Mobile banking has enabled faster money transfers between businesses and deals can be paid for instantaneously leading to improved response times to customers.

The use of television networks as a source of news has been used for long. There are many television networks which will deliver real time news in specified time. They will hire a team of competent journalists who will be sent to different parts of the world to cover occurrences. Journalists will make video and audio recordings which are sent to the media editing team. They will decide on the information to be reported to the public. The expected response will determine how coverage is done.

Political events are the major area of concentration. These include elections in a country, bilateral agreements as well as multinational interactions. The leader will be accompanied by a team of journalists who represent specific media stations. The increased world integration has led to many international trips by the leaders. As a result media will report all these events from all parents of the world. Political unrest and civil war are also a major area of concentration. The fighting parties will look for independent media stations to give their side of the story. Coverage done by television stations proves to be a great tool.

World business forums will also hit the top of every television station. The signing of agreements between bodies will be covered by their journalists. These include annual general meeting for world organizations such as NGOs. Loans and financial grants by states to their affiliates will not be left out. The world trends in living standards have recently drawn a great media attention. This includes human and animal rights. Areas shackled by unfavorable cultures will also be a concern all world leaders. They will therefore be covered widely by media stations.

The delivery of news from magazines has been practiced for long. These include coverage of events, analysis as well as prescriptions. They range from health, motor vehicles, celebrities, family and sporting magazines. Each is dedicated to a specific area where they emphasize on excellence coverage.

Health magazines will focus on looking for most recent information on nutrition and healthy living. They cover real-time stories as a sample of the whole population they target. These include foods to help people keep physically fit. They will cover importance physical exercise and their benefit to every reader. The increased use of supplements is not left behind. They will engage professionals who write a detailed analysis of the effects of these supplements in the diet. They will also offer a column for public opinion where they publish the feedback from their audience.

Increased rates of lifestyle diseases have led to the emergence of personal medical providers. This includes doctors and therapists. They have columns in health magazines where they inform the audience about the ways of prevention, living and cure of these diseases. They will cover scientific facts on the disease in a simplified language for the target audience to comprehend. Their services are highly relied on by the readers. The information offered will face public scrutiny. This comes as reader’s opinion after they have followed the given instructions. Individuals looking for marketing chances will find these magazines important. They will advertise their goods alongside the articles by professionals. For instance, nutritional products will be advertised in the columns which cover healthy diets.

As recently as 2010, 3D was all the rage and the promise of an immersive three dimensional experience excited many people. The release and subsequent success of Hollywood blockbusters like 3D film Avatar indicated greater things to come. DisplaySearch, a display market research company, projected unit sales exceeding 90 million by 2014. Broadcasters like the BBC and ESPN even started offering 3D broadcasts.

Three years down the line and BBC have shut down its 3D division, ESPN is shutting its service by the end of the year and 3D TV sales are going through the floor. What happened to such a promising form of display technology? The facts are varied and I will highlight some:

Eyestrains and headachesAccording to a 2010 Nielsen Co study, over 25% of those interviewed complained of headaches resulting from watching 3D TV, especially at home. The sheer amount of information and alteration of reality meant viewers got overwhelmed and this caused them disorientation and discomfort.

InconvenienceMany people found that wearing 3D goggles for home viewing was impractical and inconvenient to their comfort.

Incompatibility with existing player capabilities3D content must be filmed, played and displayed through 3D capable devices. So, buying a 3D TV meant buying a new player for DVDs and movies shot in 3D.

Lack of ContentThe ultimate killer of the format was that there just wasn’t enough 3D content on the market (even Hollywood gave up) so the display was used in 2D instead.